2 years in office: Ministry votes N1 billion reward for best performed agency

MINISTER of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that his ministry will punish any agency under his purview that had performed poorly in the last two years, while those which have performed creditably well will be rewarded.

He said there would be monetary incentive for research purposes, made available to the three top agencies with the best getting N1 billion,  while N500 million would go to second best agency and the third agency would get N200 million.

Onu, made this known in Abuja, while meeting with the Director-Generals and Chief Executives of Parastatals under the ministry to review activities of the ministry.

He further stated that all the 17 agencies were expected to set specific targets within their mandate, which should be accomplished within a specified period of time.

Dr Onu said the ministry, has therefore, set up a Competiveness Assessment Committee (CAC) to assess and reward parastatals under it.

The reward system, according to him, is to motivate the agencies to achieve set objectives.

“The CAC will be co-chaired by nominees from the Nigerian Academy of Science and the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

“Other members of the committee will be drawn from the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Science Association of Nigeria, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, National Economic Summit Group, National Universities Commission and others.

“Those that perform creditably will be rewarded, while those that perform poorly will be punished. All agencies are expected to set specific targets within their mandate, which should be accomplished within a specified period of time”, he stressed.

The award, he added, would be given every two years, in order to give enough time for the assessment of work done, adding that many incentives had been introduced to encourage those agencies that distinguish themselves.

Dr Onu noted that the assessment of various agencies would be flexible, in accordance with the laws that established them, in order to ensure that there was fairness in their assessment, adding that distinguished Nigerians from both outside the ministry and services will perform the assessment.